Exhibition of sculpture at the Grand Palais. Construction of the Grand Palais began in 1897 as part of the preparation works for the Universal Exposition of 1900. The main space, almost 780 feet long, was constructed with an iron, steel and glass barrel-vaulted roof that were necessary for large gatherings of people before the age of electricity. The main space was connected to the other parts of the palace along an east-west axis by a grand staircase in a style combining Classical and Art Nouveau.